The Opelousas courier., 1887-02-19
SAVING SHIPS BY OIL.
How Dangers From Heavy
Seas May be Averted.
The Phrase Pouring Oil Upon Troubled
Waters" Put Into Practice.

waters" tut Into Practice.
The New York Tribune says: The
Branch photographic Office. in the Mari
time Exchange is supplying all mer-
chant captains sailing out of this port
with a phamplet on the use of oil to
lessen the dangerous effects of heavy
seas. The pamphlet is not a theoreti-
cal dissertatiFa, but a compilation of
cases in which oil has been used, with a
description of the n OF using it. A
careful record has been kept by the
photographic Office for some time of
ships which have used oilin storms and
the officers are convinced of its great
utility. Experience seems to demon
strate that mineral oils are not so cffec-
tive as vegetable or animal oils and the
use of the first is not recommended.
One case cited by the photographic
Office is that of the steamship Thomas
Melville. She left Baltimore in Febru-
AIRY, 1884. Running before a gale from
the westward, she was constantly board
ed by heavy seas. Two canvas bags
were made, punctured in many places
with a sail needle and filed with oil.
These bags WIRE hung over the bows
and allowed to drag in the water. The
oil spread out to windward, preventing
the combing of the waves, and the seas
no longer came on board. One gallon
lasted several hours.
: Eighty-six examples arc given in the
pamphlet showing the use of the oil in
moderating the force of the waves. The
oil was applied in various ways, but the
most effective seems to have been as fol-
lows: Take a anvas bag and puncture
it full of holes with a ilneedle. Then
put in it a quantity of oakum and fill up
the bag with oil. The bags should be
hung over the lee bows as a rule, as the
vessel in making lee-way drifts into the
'tslick'' made ON the water by the oil.
Since the photographic Office began
the dissemination of. information in
regard to tic use of oil in heavy seas its
use has vastly increased. Scarcely a
vessel coming into port now and report
ing a heavy storm docs not also report
having used oil with great benefit.
Everyone who has been to sea knows
that the danger in a storm is not from
the wind, but from the sea. A ship is
lost at s@a in two ways: First by the
waves tearing her to pieces, filling her
and sinking her. They thunder against
her with terrific force, starting her seams
and wrenching her apart until enough
water has entered to overcome her buoy
ancy and she goes down. If u ship is
lumber-laden she does not sink, but
becomes water-logged and the waves tear
her to pieces and strew the sea with her
w~reckage. Tons of water are precipita-
ted on her deck, smashing it and-carry-
ingsaway the matches and flooding the
ho.d. This is not done
by the waves themselves, but each great
roller is covered like q mountain with
crests and hills and these are constantly
topping about the ship and rushlA ,
wildly gainst or over her. Now oil has
the effect of smoothing down alithese and
leaving a smooth surface to the large
CLASSY rollers. Thus the greatest danger
OF a storm is. overcome.
The other danger is from the waves
themselves and this nothing can abate. In
all vessels there are two centres-thc
metro centre and the centre of
gravity. If a vessel is caught by the
a and rolled over until her meter
centre and her centre of gravity meet
she capsizes. Vessels have been lost in
this manner, but not often. The greatest
danger is from combing waves and the
use of oil seems to be an almost complete
against these. Thousands and
thousands of dollars and hundreds of
lives have, no doubt, been saved by the
use of oil.